Paul Ryan joins Board of Trustees

Paul Ryan is the newest member of the Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees.

“I’m honored to join the Board of Trustees,” Ryan said. “I’m looking forward to joining the other trustees in supporting the important work of Sno-Isle Libraries in serving customers and communities across the library district.”

A Lake Stevens resident, Ryan is a Monroe city police officer.

“In my personal life, I use the library in Lake Stevens with my family,” Ryan said. “In my professional life, I interact with the Monroe Library as a community asset and service.”

Board President Martin Munguia said he’s looking forward to having Ryan’s voice on the board. “Paul has been a strong advocate for the Lake Stevens Library and we look forward to his contributions in helping to guide the future of the entire Sno-Isle Libraries system,” Munguia said.

Ryan has been a member of the nine-member Lake Stevens Library Board, which advises the Lake Stevens City Council on matters related to the Lake Stevens Library. In Lake Stevens, the city owns the library building while Sno-Isle Libraries provides staffing and library services. The Lake Stevens board partners with Sno-Isle Libraries, the Friends of the Lake Stevens Library and other library support groups.

It was his work in Lake Stevens that prompted Ryan to apply to become a trustee.

“I saw how the Sno-Isle Libraries supports library services in my community,” Ryan said. “Giving back to the community was instilled in me at a very early age and when I saw there was an opening, I applied.”

Executive Director Lois Langer Thompson, who joined Sno-Isle Libraries in December 2018, said Ryan will be a strong addition in leading the library district forward. “I’ve been so impressed by all of the trustees with their knowledge of and commitment to the role that public libraries can play in healthy and diverse communities,” she said.

Ryan fills a position on the seven-member board that had been vacant since the departure of Naol Debele.

Sno-Isle Libraries is a regional rural library district as defined by state law. The board governs the district with five trustees are appointed by the Snohomish County Council, two by the Island County Commission and appointees must be confirmed by both bodies. Trustees serve seven-year terms as volunteers with business-related expenses reimbursed. Regular meetings are on the fourth Monday of each month.

As a board, the trustees set library policies, review and approve the annual budget. Trustees also represent Sno-Isle Libraries to the community and advocate for the library district at the local and state level.